MiD DAY tried checking in at the le meridien where the hockey stars are staying during the world cup. here's what we discovered...
MiD DAY tried checking in at the Le Meridien where the hockey stars are staying during the world cup. here's what we discovered...
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To face up to the heightened threat perception at sporting events, the five-star hotel has quietly stopped taking in more guests although at least 50-odd rooms in the luxury property remain unoccupied.
This writer was greeted warmly in the reception area, but politely refused a room when he posed as a guest.
"Sorry sir, there are no rooms available," said a front office executive, whose name tag read Harpreet.
With over 300 rooms in the hotel, that was a contentious claim and after some persistence, Harpreet admitted this was a security measure.
"We have all the World Cup teams staying with us, so we are not letting out rooms to other guests," he said.
Needless to add, the hotel is probably as well-guarded as nearby Rashtrapati Bhavan. Machine gun-toting commandos stand at a distance of about 10 metres from each other, all around the hotel.
All exit and entry points have been shut barring one common entry/exit gate.
A series of metal barricades and a frisking at the gate follow, and bags are first screened and then also manually searched.
All visitors must provide government-authorised identity proof, and then answer a series of questions. Of course, those without valid reasons for wanting to visit this fortress are denied entry. The luckier ones get a sticker slapped on their bags: "Delhi Police Checked."
A 50-metre walk later, another pat-down and bag-scanning exercise takes place.
If the security cordon can be compared to the rigidity of the German team's defence, then getting through also prompts a celebration. But, the security check is not over yet. Inside, besides more gun-toting guards, there are also policemen in civil clothes. Every individual's activities and movements are followed closely.
Even the players are not allowed to move freely within the hotel. "If a couple of us gather near the lobby for more than five or 10 minutes, we are requested to head back to our rooms.
"It's really sad because we have not even been able to meet some of our friends in the foreign teams, who are quite annoyed by these restrictions," said a senior member of the India squad.
Akhil Mathur, director (marketing communications) for Le Meridien, admitted they are unable to accommodate walk-in guests. "Those who booked in advance have been accommodated after the mandatory police verification. However, this verification is not possible for walk-in guests, so we are unable to accommodate them," he said.
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